From sweeping landscapes to portraits to news, these are my “best” photos from 2016. A night shooting the Perseids at Artist Point, documenting the Presidential Election, a surprise engagement, a rare snowstorm, and vigil for the Pulse Nightclub shooting victims topped my favorites.

Well, it’s the end of the year. Which of course means here are my favorite images I shot during 2015. Some were easy to pick, some were not. Some may not be technically perfect, some may not be well composed, some may have crappy lighting, but here are some of my faves of 2015. For more images, visit my gallery 2015: My Year in Photos.

It is hard to pick my favorite photos of 2015, and making it harder is that I like to shoot sports, weddings, portraits, news, and landscapes with equal vigor. When I shoot, I put in all my skill and more effort than required. For me, having my name attached to it means I put my all into it. This is not just a hobby of mine, but a passion. Prints of these or any of my photos are available for purchase. Click on the photo so it can take you to the gallery where you can buy a print of your favorite image.

I like this photos because it shows the moment of impact when the three opposing players tackled the ball carrier. The strength is shown in their arms, the struggle to move the ball up in his face, and the power of the tacklers. It has a face, a moment, framing, and the ball.

2014 turned out to be a good year for me. Not only have I shot more Getty Images assignments, more newspaper assignments, but I’ve also had the privilege to photograph many sporting and news events, a wedding, and a few portraits.

On top of that, I also went out of my way to practice more landscape photography shooting at night, using ND filters to get 4 minute exposures in daylight, and getting out of my comfort zone hiking into remote places.

Paul Conrad is an award-winning, nationally and internationally published freelance photographer living in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Wash., north of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. His work has been published in newspapers and magazine throughout the United States and in Europe.

His clients include Getty Images, Wire Image, The Bellingham Herald, and many local business in Whatcom County. Previous clients are Associated Press, the New York Times, L.A. Times, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, and many others.

His specialty is photojournalism covering news, sports, and editorial portraits, he also is skilled in family portraiture, high school senior portraits, and weddings. He is available for assignments anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.

“Morning Fog” –

Photographed this scene while wandering around Bellingham during a particularly foggy autumn last year. As I walked around, I saw this tide pool a leaf had fallen into. So I spent some time working the composition to get something I liked.

I shot it wide, then medium. Started up close then stepped back. Used my Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 then tried my Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 on my Nikon D300s.

There was no time to shoot “Watching the Ships Roll In.” I went to the Boardwalk with my wife Heidi and as I got out of the car, I saw the sailboat, the man with the hat, and the setting Sun.

The man with the hat makes this photo I believe. He’s slightly turned so you see the Sun through his glasses, he’s in silhouette, and his posture is relaxed.

I knew the sailboat would have traverse the Sun. Because I didn’t want the empty bench of the man was sitting on, I found a position where the man was on the right side of the frame. As the sailboat became closer to the Sun, I moved so you could see the full of the sailboat.

Using my 80-200mm on my D300s, I zoomed in and then slowly zoomed out until I had good placement of the Sun and man. Then I waited for about 30 seconds as the sailboat went in front of the Sun.

“String of Pearls” –

It was another foggy morning when I shot “String of Pearls.” A wet, heavy fog.

While taking my wife Heidi to work, I noticed all the spider webs in the fields along West Bakerview. So after dropping her off, I drove around for a bit looking for some intact webs that would make great photographs.

At Whidbey Island Bank at the intersection of Bakerview and Northwest, I saw a sapling in the parking lot. On that little tree was a huge spider web and it was dripping in fog.

I wanted to get close so I threw my Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 Macroonto my Nikon D300s. I worked the composition: straight on, to the side, midway, narrow depth of field, deep depth of field, etc.

My favorite is this: To the side as close as possible with narrow depth of field. The blue? Caused by shooting on the tungsten white balance in daylight. Post processing was my standard: shot on RAW, brought into Photoshop. Used layers for minor burning and dodging, a curves layer, and unsharp mask.

Last year I won Best of Show – Professional with this image:

“Blazing Runner” –

I would like to say a special thank you to the City of Bellingham for choosing 3 of my photos out of nearly a thousand as images that represent our community. I would also like to thank my wonderful wife Heidi for her patience as I continue to pursue my dream.

As with most contests, you have to take them with a grain of salt. By all means enter. You never know if you’ll win, place, or show. But you don’t know if you don’t try. So enter those contests. Just make sure you read the fine print that the contest isn’t a “rights-grab” for unlimited use of your images.

Thank you for stopping by to read and view my work. Feel free to comment, critique, or just ask questions.

Also, feel free to share and reblog, link to, and add your site in the comment section.

This post is a bit late as I’ve dealt with the passing of my beloved father-in-law Todd. He was a great man, a retired Army 10th Special Forces member who spent time in Korea during the Vietnam War, in Iraq, Nigeria, and Afghanistan and other places that if he told me “(he) would have to kill me. He became a great friend who I admired and respected. His laugh was infectious. He was a great soul and loved by everyone. His loss weighs heavy on my heart as well as my wife Heidi’s.

As the year comes to a close, I submit what I would consider my best images from 2013. These range from landscapes to city scenes to portraits to events. It’s been a fun and eventful year as I’ve worked with Getty Images, the Mount Baker Experience magazine, Total Confidence Martial Arts, won photography awards with the City of Bellingham and the Whatcom Tourism Board, Victoria’s Secret, and a few others.

During the past year, I also became more serious about pursuing portraiture and weddings. Although I love journalism and see not only its importance but its value, I must move my career towards more local work. And what’s more important that capturing the love between two friends?

I would like to give a big Thank You to all my followers and friends for reading and commenting on my blog. Without you, this blog would not exist.

Watching The Ships Roll In: – A man watches a sailboat during Sunset on the Boardwalk at Boulevard Park in Bellingham, Wash. –

Paul Conrad is an award-winning photographer living in Bellingham north of Seattle, WA, in the Pacific Northwest. His work has been published in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States and in Europe. He is available for assignments anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Although his specialty is photojournalism covering news, sports, and editorial portraits, he also is skilled in family portraiture, high school senior portraits, and weddings.